The best way to preserve green bananas is to freeze them! Frozen green bananas have many health benefits, and can be used for smoothies, nice cream, or snack recipes. In this post I share a step-by-step guide on how to freeze bananas in only a few simple steps.
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Can You Freeze Green Bananas?
The short answer is Yes! Although green bananas are much different than yellow bananas, both can be stored in the freezer for smoothies, snacks, and nice cream!
What are Green Bananas?
Green bananas are essentially unripe bananas that are less sweet and contain higher amounts of resistant starch. (Which is great for gut health!) As bananas ripen, the starch breaks down and turns into sugar.
Green Bananas vs. Yellow Bananas
Green Bananas
Green bananas are unripe bananas that have more of a bland flavor and firm texture. They're a good source of resistant starch which makes them great for digestion and maintaining balanced blood sugar levels!
Green banana peels are very tough and hard to get off which is why I suggest cutting it off with a knife. My favorite way to use green bananas is in nice cream!
Green bananas don't really have a "banana flavor" which allows the main flavor to really shine through! Like in my Blueberry Nice Cream Recipe!
Yellow Bananas
During the ripening process, the starches convert into sugar which is why yellow bananas are much sweeter and have a softer texture. Ripe bananas are also much easier to peel!
You'll notice that ripe bananas have a bright yellow peel and overripe bananas have a darker yellow peel with brown spots. Overripe bananas are great for baking!
Some of my favorite banana recipes are my Gluten-Free Banana Bread, Gluten-Free Banana Cake, and Healthy Blueberry Banana Muffins.
Meal Prep Hack: You can even freeze overripe mashed bananas for future baking! Just store in a freezer safe silicone tray like these from Souper Cubes.
Why You Should Freeze Bananas
Whether you're freezing underripe bananas or overripe bananas, it's a great way to prevent food waste! If done properly, freezing bananas will preserve them for much longer than if they were just sitting on the kitchen counter.
Freezing bananas is also an easy way to meal prep! Just peel, cut, freeze, and use for quick snacks or smoothies!
🍴How to Freeze Green Bananas
Step 1: Peel Bananas
Start by lining a baking tray with parchment paper. Use a knife to cut down the long way of the banana. Pull back both sides of the peel and pop out the banana.
Step 2: Cut Bananas
Add the peeled bananas to the parchment paper lined baking tray. Cut the bananas into small discs with a knife.
Step 3: Prepare for Freezing
Next, line the banana slices up in a single layer on the tray.
Step 4: Freezing Bananas
Place the sliced bananas on a baking sheet for 3-4 hours or until firm.
Step 5: Storing Bananas
Remove the banana discs from the freezer and peel them off of the parchment paper. Transfer them to an airtight container and store in the freezer until you're ready to use!
Expert Tips
- If you want to save space in your freezer, use a reusable silicone freezer bag instead of a Tupperware container. My favorite freezer-safe bags are by the brand Stasher.
- Do not layer the bananas on the tray or they will freeze together.
- The riper the bananas are, the easier they will be to peel.
- Use a parchment paper-lined tray to prevent the bananas from sticking.
- Make sure you freeze them with the peels off. For best results, follow my step-by-step instructions.
- If you want the bananas to freeze quickly, cut them into thinner slices.
Frequently Asked Questions
The best way to cut bananas for smoothies or nice cream is to cut them into thick discs. This will make the blending process much easier! You can also cut them in half or leave them whole.
Yes! If you have leftover mashed bananas from a recipe, just freeze it in silicone ice cube trays and use it for smoothies or baked goods.
What can I make with Frozen Bananas?
You can make a variety of recipes with frozen bananas! They are a great base for smoothies, smoothie bowls, milkshakes or banana ice cream!
For a quick and easy no-bake dessert, make my Chocolate Covered Banana Bites or take a whole frozen banana and dip it into melted chocolate! It's a delicious and healthy alternative to ice cream bars.
Smoothie recipes you'll love!
After you try Freezing Green Bananas, make sure to leave a comment & rate the recipe!
Recipe Card
How To Freeze Green Bananas
Equipment
- 1 Parchment Paper
- 1 Baking Tray
- 1 Small Knife
- 1 Glass Tupperware Container
Ingredients
- 4-5 Green Bananas You can
Instructions
- Start by lining a baking tray with parchment paper. Use a knife to cut down the long way of the banana. Pull back both sides of the peel and pop out the banana.
- Add the peeled bananas to the parchment paper lined baking tray. Cut the bananas into small discs with a knife.
- Next, line the banana discs up on the tray so they are in one even layer.
- Place the bananas on a baking sheet for 3-4 hours or until firm.
- Remove the banana discs from the freezer and peel them off of the parchment paper. Transfer them to an airtight container and store in the freezer until you're ready to use!
Notes
Expert Tips
- If you want to save space in your freezer, use a reusable silicone freezer bag instead of a Tupperware container. My favorite freezer-safe bags are by the brand Stasher.
- Do not layer the bananas on the tray or they will freeze together.
- The riper the bananas are, the easier they will be to peel.
- Use a parchment paper-lined tray to prevent the bananas from sticking.
- Make sure you freeze them with the peels off. For best results, follow my step-by-step instructions.
- If you want the bananas to freeze quickly, cut them into thinner slices.
Nutrition
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